5 Reviews of New Video Releases

5 Reviews of New Video Releases

Here at Criticwire, it's our job to make your life easy for you to find reviews of the newest releases. Here are five of of the top titles coming to home entertainment releases. (Click on the title of a film to see more reviews, or on the name of a critic to see more from that critic.)

Arriving ahead of ceremonies with time to spare, we begin with Oscar-nominated character drama “Flight,” a well-recieved hit and Robert Zemeckis’ first live-action feature in over a decade.

As [Denzel Washington] navigates Whip’s rise and fall, he’s in command not just of an errant aircraft but also the actions and emotions of a would-be god who flew too close to the sun…Hubris, arrogance and selfishness are the toughest vices for Whip to lick, and we are with him all the way. A plane crashes, and Denzel Washington rises. – Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Featuring a thrilling, terrifying opening, plus many of the potent, moving elements that a conventional but admirable morality drama might boast, “Flight" is often undone by its very unsubtle choices and its problematic, strained last act. — Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

Also arriving is the film-buff friendly “Side By Side,” in which Christopher Kenneally and Keanu Reeves track cinema’s movement from analog to digital.

In this incredibly comprehensive and thoughtful doc, Reeves sits down with a long line of heralded filmmakers, editors, cinematographers, colorists, special effects creators and actors to unfold what the differences are between these two forms of filmmaking, as well as what the evolution of the latter means for the former, and for cinema itself. – Kristy Puchko, The Film Stage

Most could not overlook major flaws in “Alex Cross,” so if action is your preferred genre, you might need to wait another week or go to the theater instead.

The main problem with Alex Cross is its insanely baffling and idiotic screenplay. At no moment in the film do you believe anything that is happening is how real people act and that these events could transpire in the ways they play out.– Matt Rorabeck, Movie Knight

If you are looking for a romance, however, “Celeste and Jesse Forever” was good enough for most critics.

Sharp writing from first-time screenwriter Jones and Will McCormack blends comedy and drama with enough realism to have you caring about these characters even as their relationship is ending and giving way to new beginnings.Allison Loring, Film School Rejects

Celeste and Jesse Forever is a messy film, but every single moment is graced with such profound emotional authenticity that those issues hardly matter. The cumulative effect is powerful, and the challenging concepts the film raises about love, friendship, maturity, and growth linger long after one exits the theatre.– Jonathan Lack, We Got This Covered